


Always there

by heatgeneratingtechniques



Series: werewolf Rhett [2]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Food, M/M, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 09:44:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12251850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heatgeneratingtechniques/pseuds/heatgeneratingtechniques
Summary: It's been years since the werewolf bite, but Link hasn't left Rhett's side.





	Always there

**Author's Note:**

> I know Rhett is lactose intolerant, but let's ignore that for the sake of this fic, shall we... (laughs nervously)

Link has always been there.

When Rhett was bitten by a werewolf, when his friends abandoned him, and even when his moods grew extreme, he still stuck around. And for some strange reason he’s still here.

Rhett stopped taking his anti-werewolf meds after college graduation. They began severely affecting his health, causing violent mood swings and prolonged insomnia. He quit the meds partly for Link’s sake, not wanting to stress his boyfriend any more than he already had. So after long talks with Link, he was directed to sign official police forms, in which he agreed to stay a specific number of miles away from heavily populated areas or risk being arrested on sight as a danger to society. It was a formality more than anything else; his whereabouts were already tracked thanks to the GPS chip embedded in his back, something all werewolves were required to have.

He and Link bought a cabin in a quiet part of western North Carolina’s mountains. A place where Rhett could become a werewolf during the full moon without fear of hurting anyone nearby.

So when the full moon rises, Rhett slips away to the woods, leaving Link alone for the night. Link wanted to accompany him at first, but Rhett flat-out refused. He’d gotten himself into this mess; no need to drag Link down with him. He spends the cold nights in the woods alone, howling at the moon and hunting animals that scurry through the undergrowth.

When the moon sets, he limps home naked and shivering, trailing mud and gore. Sometimes he’s human by the time he reaches the front porch, sometimes he’s still on four paws. Link’s always waiting there, swathed in the depths of his oversized black hoodie. He takes hold of Rhett’s arm and guides him inside to the shower, where the water is already steaming. He scrubs away the filth of the previous night’s violence while Rhett tries not to fall asleep from sheer exhaustion. Once he’s clean, they collapse into bed together. Link’s warm embrace always smells like freshly washed cotton. Rhett immediately falls asleep.

When he wakes up he's alone. The sheets have tangled around his legs and there are clothes folded on a chair by the bed.

Link always thinks of everything.

As he gets dressed, he checks the clock. It’s already early afternoon. He can smell the food down the hall. His joints protest with every move, but his stomach growls more loudly.

He finds Link in the kitchen, pulling a casserole dish from the oven. Quietly, he embraces his boyfriend from behind.

“What is it?” he asks.

“Mac and cheese,” Link says unnecessarily.

Rhett makes a longing sound that borders on sexual. “Tasty,” he murmurs in his boyfriend’s ear, soft enough to make Link giggle.

Just a year ago, Rhett would’ve never imagined that Link would learn to cook. Rhett was the one who knew his way around the kitchen, while Link stuck to making peanut butter sandwiches and cereal. But a werewolf’s life was terribly draining, and Link had slowly moved from dishwasher to decent chef. He was slow at first, the smell of burned food permeating the house for weeks, but his perfectionist nature soon took over. After work, Rhett would find him in the kitchen, covered with flour as he attempted yet another recipe with a maniacal gleam in his eye. Slowly but surely he branched out to more complicated dishes. He could whip up a meal pretty quickly now, and Rhett appreciated this the most after the full moon, when he was weak and drained and desperately needed something to fill his hollow stomach.

They sit on the front porch with mac and cheese and steamed vegetables and salad and other covered dishes that Link said were a surprise.

Rhett practically inhales his food, while Link thoroughly chews on smaller bites.

“’s good,” he mumbles with his mouth full. Link only grins.

The fall air is crisp around them, enough to make Rhett wish he’d brought a sweater. He almost leaves his chair to get one, but Link throws his own hoodie across Rhett’s shoulders instead.

“I got you, man,” he says softly.

The meaning behind small gestures like this sometimes hits Rhett without warning. Link cared for him last night. Link laid out clothes for him and spent the morning making him food. Rhett may have saved Link from the werewolf bite when they were children, but Link’s been by his side for years now. Somehow he wants to remain there for many more.

There’s plenty that Rhett wants to say in response, but right now all he can manage is a quiet, “Thank you.”


End file.
